


The Queen's Performance

by Swords_and_Parasols



Category: Juuni Kokki | Twelve Kingdoms
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-03
Updated: 2014-05-03
Packaged: 2018-01-21 17:47:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1558808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swords_and_Parasols/pseuds/Swords_and_Parasols
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shoukei and Suzu are given the most difficult task in Kei.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Queen's Performance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quicksilver_ink](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quicksilver_ink/gifts).



Deep within the kingdom of Kei's Kenpa palace, among the personal residences set aside for Queen Sekishi's personal use, the residence that sometimes garnered even more attention that the queen's own was that of her mentor, Enho. Made up of the queen's closest confidants-exiles, commoners and a kaikyaku, it was both an influential household, and one that remained a constant irritation among many in the court some five years after they were installed. Within these walls, the name "Sekishi" was rarely uttered, and instead the queen was simply Youko.

Today, however, Youko, Shoukei and Suzu were very much in their roles as queen and advisors, much to Youko's dismay. After Youko had caused three successive '“deportment” tutors, as Yoko referred to them, to give up in dismay, Enho had turned to the only people he knew who were both as stubborn as Youko, and who could deal with her blunt honesty and disregard for protocol without the restraints other officials would.

"I still don't see why I have to wear this when it's just the three of us," Youko complained, picking at her robes. "I only wear this for official ceremonies anyway."

What the tutors had missed, Shoukei reflected, was not that Youko didn't understand, it was that she didn't see the point, or rather, that she disagreed with it. Youko saw little preason to dissemble or "put on airs," as she put it. She wasn't careless or ignorant. She simply didn't care what people thought of her as long as she was able to do what was best for Kei. In the abstract, it was admirable. At present, however, it was a hindrance.

"That may be true now," Shoukei responded, "But it will change once you start meeting more officials from other nations, not to mention their rulers."

"The King of En never has a problem with how I dress."

"That's because he views himself as your mentor," Suzu replied in a much gentler voice than Shoukei's. She and Youko were seated at opposite ends of the small table in Enho's parlor, which had an elaborate tea set in the middle, with Shoukei standing midway between them, to the side of the table. "He enjoys the idea of you thwarting convention even more than he does, but he's also ruled for 500 years."

"And don't even mention the King of Han," Shoukei cut in before Youko could bring up the only other ruler she'd had more than passing dealings with. "That person lives for drama, and hopes to see you cause some. He is also well aware that I am the only person outside of Han capable of properly accessorizing him."

Youko and Suzu traded an amused look at the surge of pride in Shoukei's voice at that. Then Suzu frowned. "The point is, Youko, that the kings of Han and En can be as eccentric as they like. They've been on their thrones for centuries, and have thriving kingdoms, and while both followed kings who lost the Way, neither had to deal with anything quite like Kei's history with queens. A hundred years from now, no one-well, almost no one-will care, but now they're still watching you for signs that you'll be Kei's fourth failure of a queen in a row."

"You've been queen for seven years now, Youko, and it's been four years since you announced your intention to create your 'United Nations.' While the other rulers have heard of your ideas by now, Kei's condition has been such that no one expected you to be able to act on them. This is also why other nations have only sent minor envoys to maintain basic diplomatic relations-envoys who rank low enough that they won't be offended by being greeted in the halls by a queen dressed as a junior official, instead of her official vestments," Shoukei said. "but Kei has stabilized now. There have been few youma attacks for the last year and a half, and the only two in the last four months have been along Kou's borders."

"No one has tried to kill me in almost a year. Don't forget that."

"Yes, and we're very grateful for that." Shoukei frowned. "Stop slouching. You're supposed to be practicing wearing those robes on occasions other than standing on ceremony, not finding creative new ways to wrinkle them. I can't believe you've managed to go this long without even a single formal tea."

"Do you want to get a spoon and rap my knuckles too?" Youko muttered.

Shoukei glanced at Suzu, who shrugged, equally confused. "I'm afraid we miss the reference."

"In some countries in Hourai, teachers used to rap disobedient students on the knuckles with a wooden spoon," Youko explained.

"We have quite a few of those," Suzu said. "I'd be happy to fetch one, if you think it would help."

Both Youko and Shoukei stared at her, startled, only to be greeted with a serene smile.

"I...don't believe that will be necessary," Shoukei replied, sighing. "Now, if our queen is through trying to distract us-" Youko shrugged. "-we can get back on track. Youko, we know how much you dislike ceremony and pretence, but to others, it's a necessary part of life and responsibility, and if you want to accomplish your goals, you have to accommodate them. For example, from what I understand, the King of Ren would find it a relief to hold state meetings with a junior official." Shoukei paused, remembering her few meetings with Renrin, and what she had gathered of the governing of Ren from them. "In fact, you'd probably mostly be dealing with Renrin, who would be more concerned by your recklessness than your dress or demeanor. The Queen of Kyou, however, would dismiss you in an instant. If the meeting lasted ten minutes, it would only be because she felt you needed a lecture about how you should take more care when representing your people, whose welfare you are responsible for. In the months I worked in her palace, the queen never once appeared in anything less than perfect royal dress. At the time, I hated her for it, but now I realize she didn't do that to flaunt her wealth and power and make others envious, but to assure them that their kingdom was wealthy and stable. It is not a method that would work for all rulers, but the people of Kyou know that she values her responsibilities towards them above all else and so are reassured. To her, a queen who does not put forth her best face to other rulers is not one who truly values her people, and so not one to put her faith in."

"I wasn't in Sai's court as long as Shoukei worked in Kyou's, but I don't think the queen would be as extreme in her reaction as Shoukei believes the queen of Kyou would be," Suzu added. "Speaking with her is more like speaking with an aunt who has high expectations of you but forgives you for not meeting them. She was very kind, but disappointed in me for not acting with the maturity she'd hoped. I don't know if she'll support your ideas, but she will have to see you as someone with the maturity to do something that no one else has before."

"In addition, Souki and Hourin currently reside on Mount Hou, and Ryurin's ranka is growing. Soon, they'll choose their own rulers," Shoukei said, taking up where Suzu had left off. "Gaining their support from the start will be important for you, but you'll have to impress them as a leader." 

Youko, aware that both of her friends were far more stubborn than she was, had been passively allowing them to treat her like a puppet after her initial resistance. Her movements had been corresponding to Shoukei's taps and prods as Shoukei ruthlessly guided her through the formal tea ceremony, but now she yelped as Shoukei delivered a sharp poke between her shoulder blades, almost making her spill the tea. "And they absolutely do not need to see a queen who tells assassins that she doesn't care if they kill her if they're sure it's for the best."

"Kantai told you to say that, didn't he?" Youko said as she tried to rub the sore spot.

Shoukei glared down at Youko. None of them had quite forgiven Youko for that, even though she had never repeated it. "He did, yes, and he was right."

"Listen, I get what you're saying," Youko replied after a moments' pause. "People expect to see a certain thing when they look at a queen, and I'm rarely it. I know what they want to see, and I know why they want to see it. I just think they're wrong. I spent my whole life in Hourai trying to adjust who I was to please others. It never did me any good, and it never really made them happy, either. They just wanted more. The only times I feel I truly accomplished anything that I felt good about were the ones here, when I quit performing to please others and just did things what I felt was right, or started asking the questions I thought I needed answers to, instead of the ones Keiki and the ministers thought I should be focusing on."

"But Youko, you've been performing to please us for the last half hour." Suzu gestured to the table. "You probably told yourself that you just weren't going to bother resisting and let us do what we wanted, but you actually made a conscious decision to stop fighting us at one point. You may think it's just easier this way, but you're the queen. If you really didn't want to sit through this, you could leave. You chose to stay and at least half cooperate because you didn't want to hurt our feelings or embarrass us."

"Well, I like you two considerably more than I do anyone else you want me to perform for."

"And we're both fonder of you than almost anyone else in Kei," Shoukei said, "but if you think about it, it's the same thing."

"You'll have to explain that one to me."

This time, Shoukei contained her sigh, sensing that Youko was, if not quite agreeing, then beginning to give the subject more serious . "When you 'perform,' as you put it, you aren't simply performing for the person in front of you. Everyone performs at all times. When you refuse to distance yourself from lower ranked officials and officers and promote commoners, you aren't performing to please your ministers, but you are performing to please yourself, and the people whose careers you're forwarding. And even if you aren't thinking of it at the time, you're also sowing the seeds for future followers who now see the possibility to advance when it didn't before, such as with Seki. Your 'United Nations' isn't for the people you'll try to persuade to help you create it. It's for Keikei, Seishuu, Rakashun, Rangyoku, Risai, the Tai taiho, and everyone like them. If your United Nations had existed twenty or even fifteen years ago, the people of Hou, Kou and Ryu would have aid that they desperately need but can't receive from other kingdoms because of Heaven's Mandate. With it, Jo-ou might have never taken over Kei, and Tai might have never gotten as bad as it was four years ago. That's who we, and Enho and Keiki, are asking you to perform for."

Youko stared into space for some time, her face giving nothing away, and then said "Twenty years."

"What?" the other girls asked in unison.

"I still don't agree, and I think we'd all be better off if we could just look each other in the eyes and say what we need to without dancing around protocol and tradition, but I'll concede that, in certain cases, I should make more of an attempt. However, a hundred years is far too long. I give myself about twenty years of tiptoeing around ceremony and manners, and then I probably will lose the Way."

In her firmest voice, Suzu replied, "We'll discuss this again in twenty years, then."

**Author's Note:**

> Betas: ryfkah and inkstone


End file.
